Portland Fire Responds, Treats Two Fall Victims in NW Portland

At 5:37pm, Portland Fire & Rescue responded to reports of an incident involving two individuals, both males ages 28 and 34. Both individuals worked for the Great Northwest Gutter Company and were installing gutters on an apartment building located at NW 24th & NW Quimby. The workers were using two ladders to bring a piece of gutter up to the building's roofline when a portion of the gutter contacted an overhead electrical line.

The workers were holding the piece of gutter at the time it contacted the electrical line and suffered burns from electrical shock. They were knocked off the ladders and fell to the ground from the third story of the building. When firefighters from NW Portland's Station 3 arrived, they found the two workers on ground and began rendering medical attention. Both were transported to a local trauma center with life-threatening injuries. A fire investigator and OSHA have been called to the scene to investigate the incident.

"This tragic accident is a reminder to be aware of your surroundings," said Public Information Officer Paul Corah. "When working on ladders or above ground, make sure you check for overhead power lines before starting work. Electrical shocks can be deadly."